The present invention pertains to an axle shaft assembly for a motor vehicle which has a splined shaft which is pushed into and locked in a drive hub which pivots and moves axially in a drive bell of a constant velocity universal joint. Axle shaft assemblies of this type are generally known for connecting the transmission to the driven wheels of motor vehicles.
It is desirable that such axle shafts can be mounted and removed without having to loosen or remove other adjacent components. Since the drive hub moves axially in the drive bell in the prior-art axle shafts, this axial displacement, which is needed for the mobility of the axle shaft, can be utilized for mounting the axle shaft. However, the maximum possible axial displacement of the drive hub in the drive bell is not sufficient in the prior-art axle shafts for mounting without detaching other components. To achieve a sufficient shortening of the prior-art axle shafts for mounting, it has been necessary to design the universal joints at each end of the axle shaft as axially displaceable universal joints.